Lake Macdonald Dam Safety Upgrade

At Seqwater, some of the dams we operate were built decades ago and, just like cars, they need regular maintenance to keep them in good working order and meet changing safety standards.

Lake Macdonald is one of a number of dams in South East Queensland to be upgraded as part of Seqwater’s Dam Improvement Program over the next five years.

This will be the first major upgrade of the dam since the walls were raised in 1980. It will involve building a new spillway and reconstructing the existing earth embankments to better protect the dam against earthquakes and extreme floods.

Impact assessment

Seqwater collected feedback on the potential project impacts and ways to avoid or reduce them between August and September 2018. Feedback provided informed the Impact Assessment Report (IAR), a document required by the Coordinator-General under the State Development and Public Works Organisation Act 1971. Areas of impact assessed included, but were not limited to, traffic, noise, dust, water quality, recreation, cultural heritage, and ecology.

Project timingWe have revisited the project schedule and decided to delay the start of construction until 2020.

The best time of year to lower the lake’s water level is March to avoid the wet season, as well as aquatic fauna breeding seasons in and downstream of the lake.

The lake will be lowered following the wet season in early 2020 to allow construction to begin in mid-2020, subject to approvals.

The timing change also means Lake Macdonald will remain open to recreation in 2019.

We appreciate the patience and understanding stakeholders and the local community have had over the past few years as we’ve progressed planning. If you have any questions or concerns about the project timing, please email lakemacdonald@seqwater.com.au

At Seqwater, some of the dams we operate were built decades ago and, just like cars, they need regular maintenance to keep them in good working order and meet changing safety standards.

Lake Macdonald is one of a number of dams in South East Queensland to be upgraded as part of Seqwater’s Dam Improvement Program over the next five years.

This will be the first major upgrade of the dam since the walls were raised in 1980. It will involve building a new spillway and reconstructing the existing earth embankments to better protect the dam against earthquakes and extreme floods.

Impact assessment

Seqwater collected feedback on the potential project impacts and ways to avoid or reduce them between August and September 2018. Feedback provided informed the Impact Assessment Report (IAR), a document required by the Coordinator-General under the State Development and Public Works Organisation Act 1971. Areas of impact assessed included, but were not limited to, traffic, noise, dust, water quality, recreation, cultural heritage, and ecology.

Project timingWe have revisited the project schedule and decided to delay the start of construction until 2020.

The best time of year to lower the lake’s water level is March to avoid the wet season, as well as aquatic fauna breeding seasons in and downstream of the lake.

The lake will be lowered following the wet season in early 2020 to allow construction to begin in mid-2020, subject to approvals.

The timing change also means Lake Macdonald will remain open to recreation in 2019.

We appreciate the patience and understanding stakeholders and the local community have had over the past few years as we’ve progressed planning. If you have any questions or concerns about the project timing, please email lakemacdonald@seqwater.com.au